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"The best video essay source on the web." (Roger Ebert) This web site is built on a mix of original video essays and critical, personal writing about film, TV, and their connection to broader cultural concerns. Co-founded by Matt Zoller Seitz, TV critic for New York Magazine, and Ken Cancelosi, it is overseen by Editor-in-Chief Max Winter.

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VIDEO ESSAY: THE DARK KNIGHT: NOLAN'S MODERNIZED MYTH

Video

When director Christopher Nolan first conceived of his Batman film trilogy, the challenge was revitalizing a hero who had previously been buried in cinematic fantasy shtick—a de-evolution that started with Tim Burton’s promising "Batman" and ended with Joel Schumacher’s laughably bad "Batman & Robin."

By Nelson Carvajal
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July 10, 2012 9:34 AM
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8 Comments

Video

Cocaine’s presence in movies is a tricky object to dissect. Even with an awful, bloody contemporary history under its belt, cocaine seems to be the “cool” drug for modern cinematic heroes and heroines.

By Nelson Carvajal
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June 13, 2012 8:55 AM
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5 Comments

Video

It’s perplexing to survey the recent surge of excitement from sci-fi movie fans about Ridley Scott. Sure, Scott’s two directorial sci-fi films—"Alien" and "Blade Runner"—set the benchmarks for the sci-fi horror and the sci-fi futuristic thriller, respectively, but Scott hasn’t directed a sci-fi film in thirty years.

By Nelson Carvajal
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June 6, 2012 9:25 AM
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13 Comments

Video

Wes Anderson has established himself as an irreplaceable and elusive American storyteller. Yet, for a director who addresses such heavy themes in his work, Anderson himself remains an enigma.

By Nelson Carvajal
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May 25, 2012 1:06 PM
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3 Comments

Video

“Basically Johnny Depp is playing Tim Burton in all his movies.” – Scott Rudin (Producer of "Sleepy Hollow") This ubiquitous quote by Rudin is often the throwaway summation found in most writings on, and dissections of, the cinematic works of Tim Burton with Johnny Depp. Which is a shame, really.

By Nelson Carvajal
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May 11, 2012 9:55 AM
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1 Comment

Video

In an age of redundant remakes ("Total Recall," "Fright Night"), attempted revamps ("21 Jump Street," "The Three Stooges") and even 3D re-launchings ("Titanic 3D," "Star Wars: Episode 1 - 3D") of past Hollywood fare, it’s easy to become disheartened at the current state of film and television.

By Nelson Carvajal
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April 27, 2012 9:31 AM
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0 Comments

Video

Amazingly, the Marvel movie brand has been able to survive with an enthusiastic audience—even in the midst of artistic failure.

By Nelson Carvajal
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April 20, 2012 9:00 AM
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7 Comments

Video

Paul Thomas Anderson is a director who wears his cinematic influences on his sleeve.

By Nelson Carvajal
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April 4, 2012 8:36 AM
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4 Comments

Video

There is hardly a more polarizing figure in the independent film scene than Vincent Gallo. He once called Roger Ebert a “fat pig with the physique of a slave trader” after Ebert blasted the Cannes debut of his sophomore directorial effort, "The Brown Bunny."

By Nelson Carvajal
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March 28, 2012 11:58 AM
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1 Comment

Video

By Nelson Carvajal
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March 14, 2012 9:49 AM
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2 Comments

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